


The Flash is Born

by ZpanSven



Series: Carrie Allen is the Flash [8]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Gen, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderbending, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-04-02 22:04:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4075444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZpanSven/pseuds/ZpanSven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Flash faces a new meta-human named Tony, who can turn himself into girded steel at will. While Dr. Wells and Caitlin are concerned about Carrie’s safety, Cisco comes up with a plan to take Tony down. Meanwhile, Iris’s blog on The Flash gets her into trouble...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

So far things were quiet in her patrol of the city and she was enjoying the buzz of conversation over the comm in her ear. Bringing Iris into this had been the best idea ever.

“So, who are you setting me up with next?” Carrie interjected.

“Oooh the blind dates, huh?” Cisco chuckled. “I wouldn't mind being on the receiving end of one if you know any single ladies who'd be interested in a guy like me, Iris...”

“I'll check around,” her sister chortled. “And it wouldn't be much of a blind date if I told you, would it?”

“Oh come on, not even a hint?” Carrie pouted. “Is it another cop? I'm guessing so since I don't know if Eddie has any non-cop friends... Will I have to wear a skirt? You know my no-jeans curse!”

“No-jeans curse?” Caitlin asked in confusion.

“...okay, okay. He's from Bludhaven and he's in town this weekend. We figured it'd be fun to hang out.”

“The no-jeans curse,” Carrie clarified for the pair of scientists, “happens whenever I don't wear blue jeans. I wear anything else, something bad tends to happen to me. Bad weather, missed bus, or worse.”

“Hey, hey, we got some action!” Cisco interrupted. “Police pursuit in progress of a yellow Humvee---”

“Just saw it!” Carrie replied, whipping around to follow. She could see the police forming a barricade, recognized Joe and Eddie...and saw the Humvee barreling towards a kid crossing the street, distracted by his headphones. “Shit!”

Joe sagged in relief when he saw the crackle of gold and the kid vanishing from the street; damn kids and their headphones, it should be against the law---

“He's not stopping!” One of the officers yelled.

Gunfire rained on the yellow Humvee, the police frantically trying to shoot out the tires. All the while Joe was keeping an eye out for that familiar blur that was Carrie. And then he – and Eddie – noticed the shots that punctured the windshield and striking the driver had no effect.

“What the hell?!” Eddie hissed, stunned; it almost looked like it was something....not human behind the wheel---

“Eddie!” Joe tackled his young partner out of the way of the oncoming Humvee; it plowed without stopping through the barricade of police cars, nearly striking them.

The blur that was Carrie sped by them, leaving a crackle of gold in her wake. She darted forward, ripping the driver's side mirror off the door to get his attention before coming to a halt in front of a chain-length fence blocking the Humvee's path. 

The Humvee came to a halt as he jerked on the wheel, causing it to skid. It was blocking a good deal of the street, she noted uneasily. That could hamper her movements significantly...

She took a breath and released it, her voice modulated and raised: “Step out of the vehicle!”

“If you say so.”

It was a voice so similar from her nightmarish days in high-school; different, deeper....meaner. The blood drained from her face and her hands trembled as the very large, muscular man opened – and then ripped off – the stolen Humvee's driver's side door.

“We have a problem,” she whispered over the comm before he hurled the door at her head.

It moved slowly through the air for her and she twisted at the hips, leaning back enough to let it pass over her...and embed into the chain-length fence. 

Ohshitohshitohshit----

“Carrie?!” Iris sounded worried as the speedster straightened, regarding the man as he approached.

Her punches weren't...that powerful. She knew that she had to build up speed and momentum to be truly effective when it came to punching an opponent.

However, when he loomed over her, reaching for her with hands that were big and strong and looked like he wanted to rip her in half, she lashed out with a sucker-punch to his face.

And the bones in her hand, in her wrist, cracked, felt like they shattered into a billion pieces. Faintly she was aware of Iris screaming her name in her earpiece as Carrie staggered back, clutching her broken hand to her belly, all but doubled over in pain. 

Stumbling away from him, she lifted her hand in time to see him clench a fist. His hand, his entire arm turning metallic before he backhanded her, sending her flying up into the air and slamming into the hood of the Humvee. She laid there, dazed and with the wind knocked out of her.

And then his hand grabbed her ankle, dragging her over the hood towards him. He leaned in, baring his teeth in an expression too savage to be a grin.

“Looks like you were born to take a beating.”


	2. Chapter 2

There was something familiar in those words, said in a voice that sounded like something from her nightmares.

She screamed as he drew back a metal fist. Time slowed and she rolled to the side, his fist puncturing the hood of the Humvee she was practically pinned to.

“God, you scream like a girl!” he laughed, pulling his fist free – and undamaged – from the hole in the hood.

Although she desperately wanted to kick him, she feared the damage that could do to her foot and ankle....it could mean she'd not be able to escape. 

She had to escape.

“Carrie!” she could hear urgency in Dr Wells's voice right before she was thrown by the metal-man into the side of a dumpster; there was an ominous cracking in her ribs. “Run away! Do not try to fight him!”

She whimpered in pain as she painfully rose to her feet. He was about to charge her, like a bull and she froze in fear before Dr Wells's voice punctured that haze: “You come here right now, Carrie Allen, or so help me---”

She ran. 

Straight to STAR Labs.

Straight to Dr Wells.

It was a blur, almost like that night when Kyle Nimbus almost killed her with the gas.

And like that night, she collapsed straight into Dr Wells's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

She came to in agony; there was a brace on her hand and wrist and she stared blankly up at the ceiling.

“---thirteen fractures,” she could hear Caitlin saying. “I think this is a new record and that's just her hand!”

“Oh God. How bad is the rest?” she heard Iris from nearby.

“A concussion, three cracked ribs, and a bruised spleen. Even with her accelerated healing, she'll be out of traction for several hours.”

Carrie groaned at that. Several hours of this pain? Oh God...

“Carrie!” Iris was leaning in over her, concern in her eyes.

“What did you hit?” Dr Wells asked, looking between Carrie's X-rays and her hand.

“...the man....” she croaked, her throat dry. “...he was metal...when I hit him, he became metal...”

Iris retrieved a glass of water with a straw for her, as Caitlin gingerly helped Carrie sit up enough to swallow down the blissfully cold water.

“Interesting...” Dr Wells muttered. “A man of Steel...”

“You are so lucky he didn't knock out any teeth – those puppies don't grow back,” Cisco said.

“He seemed....familiar,” she slurred in pain.

“Really?” Caitlin asked with a frown, exchanging a look with Iris.

“....his voice. And what he said...was familiar...” she shifted and whimpered as pain arced up from her hand and ribs. Her eyes opened a bit to see Dr Wells staring at her intently in concern. Carrie blushed hotly under those piercing blue eyes.

Carefully she took a breath, feeling the blush subsiding. “...have...to stop him. He almost ran over a kid...over Joe and Eddie...didn't care who he could hurt...”

“How are you going to fight a man of steel?” Iris demanded.

“We will find a way,” Dr Wells declared and pointed at Carrie. “But tonight, Ms Allen, you will stay right there and heal. Are we clear?”

“Y-yes, Dr Wells,” she muttered, that damnable blush returning.


	4. Chapter 4

She still hurt when she went to work the next morning, lingering aches and pains that part of her wondered was more psychological and physiological. Joe looked up from his monitor as she set his cup of coffee down on his desk. He closed whatever he was working on, pulling out his earbuds.

“You alright? Iris told me what happened.” Joe asked, eyeing her in concern. 

“So you know about the crazy guy who turns to metal? Saves me the energy,” she grunted.

He didn't tell her it was more like he had been read the riot act. Iris had been furious last night as she told him that he should be more worried for Carrie than for her, going so far as to list every injury she had received since gaining her powers. Some of them, he hadn't known about. Apparently Iris had gotten a very thorough list from Caitlin.

Joe ran a hand down his face. “I swear that particle accelerator is the gift that keeps on giving.”

“I know. I miss my normal crime scenes,” she said sourly and shook her head. “Any idea who he is?”

“Eddie's taking point while I run down a lead,” Joe replied, picking up his briefcase. “I need you to work with him until I get back.”

She blinked in surprise; wait, what? She was just the lab rat, not a detective... “Me? Why not Hunter?”

“Because he saw something impossible last night that he's got questions about...questions that I can't answer.”

Carrie groaned. “Oh for-- I know Dr Wells submitted that report--”

“---and with how unpopular Dr Wells is right now, I suspect it has been put on the bottom of the pile indefinitely, no matter how urgent its marked,” Joe sighed.

“Great.”

“Until then...I guess, I don't know....throw science and rational explanations at Eddie.”

“I'll try,” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

When she joined Eddie, Captain Singh was passing out folders to Eddie, Hunter, and a couple of the other detectives. He was in the middle of the briefing when he saw her slip into the room. 

“So pleased you could join us, Ms Allen.” He drawled, shoving a similar folder into her hands. She blushed hotly and scooted by Hunter and Eddie. “Have a rough night?”

“Yes, sir.” she squeaked.

“As I was saying,” Captain Singh continued, “Our perp yanked three ATMs after he boosted the vehicle. ATM security cameras got him on video and we caught a hit in our database: Tony Woodward.”

Carrie was staring down at the mugshot in horror, the blood draining from her face and her gut felt like it had fallen to her knees. She knew he looked familiar! 

“He's got a history of violence, petty theft, assault – all of it going back to juvie. He dropped off the radar about ten months ago. Looks like he's back.”

She felt Hunter nudge her gently and she looked at him; he appeared visibly concerned, his eyes tracing over her pale, wane face. “...Carrie?”

“...I know him. From elementary school all the way up to high-school with Iris and me...” she answered, unaware that Eddie's eyes were now on her and Hunter. “He beat up a lot of kids, myself included.”

“I remember Iris mentioning him, said he was brutal as hell,” Eddie said softly.

“He was. Joe told me what happened last night...so it sounds like he's just gotten even worse...” she shook her head. 

“He almost ran me over, if Joe hadn't been there...”

“Which is why I want all of you to approach with extreme caution,” Captain Singh said seriously and Carrie became aware that their conversation had been heard by him and the other detectives causing her to blush hotly, her shoulders hunching up. “He's reckless and dangerous. Don't be heroes by trying to apprehend him alone. We have partners for reasons and this is one of them.”

She had never been so relieved when they were dismissed. Right up until Eddie spoke: “Last night...I saw something I just can't get my head around...”

Hunter was looking at him curiously and she wanted to scurry back to her lab but refrained. “Really?”

“Yeah. I fired over a dozen rounds at him and it seemed like they just, I don't know...sparked off him...” Eddie grunted in frustration.

She lifted her shoulders in a shrug, hoping she managed to look as baffled as Hunter. “I...could it have been body armor?”

“Where'd you hit him?”

“His face,” Eddie deadpanned.

“Huh.”

“Weird,” she agreed.

And then, like an angel from heaven sent to save her, was Iris. She had the best sister in the world. Make with the worried cooing and kissy faces, love birds!

Carrie practically sagged with relief as the pair became wrapped up in each other, not seeing the puzzled look on Hunter's face.


	5. Chapter 5

“So your childhood bully is now an unstoppable meta-human.” Cisco shook his head and his brows quirked a bit. “That's seriously messed up.”

“I had a childhood nemesis,” Caitlin said, clutching her cup of coffee. Jitters own brew, courtesy of Iris stocking the STAR Labs kitchen. “Lexie LaRouche...” she grimaced. “Used to put gum in my hair...”

“Jake Podket...” Cisco muttered. “If I didn't let him copy my homework, he'd give me a swirly.”

“Well, now that we've established we are all uber-nerds...” Carrie sighed. “What are we going to do about Tony? He's going to end up killing people!”

Cisco beamed at her. “Glad you asked!”

He clapped her on the shoulder, leading her out of the observation room. “We're going to train you – karate-kid style!”

He pushed aside a thin green mesh screen to reveal...a gleaming metal training dummy.

“I call him Girder!”

When she looked at Caitlin in worry, the doctor announced: “This was not my idea.”

“Fighting is physics,” Cisco reassured Carrie. “Its not about strength, its not about size – its about energy and power. Of we can channel your speed in the right way....we can totally take this bad boy down.”

She looked back and forth between Cisco and the training dummy dubiously.

“Now your Girder is obviously isn't going to be an easy, stationary target...” Cisco was picking up a large box with...buttons and a joystick? He slipped the strap on it around his shoulder and flipped a switch on the box; the training dummy started to move with a harsh whining of gears. “So...”

Carrie looked at the training dummy then to Cisco and finally to Caitlin, who was eyeing the contraption.

“....I have ice and bandages standing by.”

Taking that as Caitlin's approval for the idea, Carrie took a breath and made use of her speed, darting around the dummy as Cisco controlled it's movements, landing multiple blows in seconds before darting to another location to avoid being struck by the outstretched, curved arms. It seemed to be working pretty decently enough; her knuckles were smarting from striking the metal and then...

One of the training dummy's arms slammed into her shoulder with a sickening sound as she was sidestepping to unleash another volley; it knocked her off-balance enough for the machine to swing its other arm, sending her to the floor in a heap of pain.

“...I think...I dislocated my shoulder...” she whimpered, clutching her shoulder. 

Cisco and Caitlin helped her to the medical bed she had become fast friends with. Sitting on it, she watched as Caitlin examined her arm. Every tentative touch and probe was agonzing.

“Its definitely dislocated...” the doctor sighed and shifted her grip, lifting Carrie's arm. “I'm not going to lie – this is going to be quick and extremely painful.”

And then her phone rang. She whimpered and glanced at the caller ID – it was Eddie. 

Seriously?

“One minute,” she panted and took a breath, trying to compose herself to sound relatively normal... It didn't really work, she still sounded pretty pained. “Eddie? Hey.”

“Hey Carrie, we found the stolen Humvee--” she could barely hear him over the throbbing pain in her body but she managed. 

“I'll be right there,” she managed to say in what she hoped was a level enough voice. 

Hanging up, she looked at Caitlin with pained eyes. The doctor gestured for her to lay back and with a pained grunt, Carrie managed to recline on the medical bed. 

Taking a breath, she nodded to Caitlin as she gripped the speedster's bicep and shoulder. “Lets do this...”

Caitlin tried to distract her, get her to relax the tense muscles to make it easier to relocate the shoulder. “So Carrie...”

“Yes?”

“Hows things with you and that Hunter guy? Since you're going out on another blind date...”

“I think...we might just be friends...” Carrie couldn't understand why she felt the need to ask this now but... “He went through a recent, bad divorce and I'm...trying to get over a crush....I worry about a rebound relationship, you know?”

“Aahh. Still looking at your options. Good plan.” Caitlin said right before she abruptly twisted Carrie's arm, driving the shoulder back into its socket with a sickening sound, causing Carrie to arch up and scream.


	6. Chapter 6

“Carrie, we really need to get you a car,” Eddie said in exasperation, but his lips were quirked up in a faint grin.

She grinned at him, her case hanging from her good shoulder, the other still sore. “I don't know, I think I manage well enough on foot. Besides, its healthier and I have to work off all the Big Belly Burgers I eat anyway...”

Her eyes left Eddie to study the hideous and damaged yellow Humvee. “...what kind of person buys one of those? Ehh. Never mind. What do we got?”

“Well this is the rig that Tony Woodward boosted last night,” Eddie gestured to it and she peered at the kegs in the back of the Humvee emblazoned with the logo of the Rusty Iron Ale Brewing Company. “No sign of the stolen ATMs though; he's probably got those wherever he's holed up. Though he's going to have one hell of a time breaking them open.”

“I dunno, if he's determined enough and got access to the right tools...” she murmured with a thoughtful frown as she crouched down, setting her kit on the ground.

There was something almost soothing about the sounds the latches made as she undid them, opening the kit up and then snapping her gloves on. She was partially aware of Eddie crouching down by her.

“I....didn't get a chance to say this earlier but...thanks for putting up with Iris's blind date ideas,” Eddie said. “I know that some of the guys at the department were a little less than enthused but I really think they might be a little intimidated by you.”

She looked over him in confusion. “Intimidated? By me?”

“And Joe,” he added, lips quirking up in a faint grin. “You are exceptionally intelligent, it can be pretty intense. And you are probably one of the youngest people ever hired by the department which is very impressive by itself...”

Her head tilted as she looked at him. “And where are you going with this?”

“I...just wanted to say that, don't let some of the lukewarm receptions you get you down. And that I'm really glad that we are able to become friends. I was one of those guys who was intimidated by you at first and was a little worried you wouldn't approve of Iris and me...”

“So long as you make her happy and don't mess this up, I'll never give you the shovel-talk,” she replied with a chuckle.

“...and the scary thing is, you could probably make all that happen. Without Joe's help.”

“Of course.”

“Detective? Excuse me?” One of the plainclothes officers came up to Eddie, pulling him away.

She smiled faintly at the thought of her being intimidating. She couldn't see it but then again....men were strange creatures. If they wanted intimidating, they should see Iris! Joe'd had her in boxing gloves since she was six...and man did she have a hell of a right hook!

...maybe she should try sparring with Iris again. It had been a long time but...maybe it wouldn't hurt.

“So what do you think?” Eddie asked, returning from his talk with the plainclothes officer. She rose to her feet, approaching the Humvee.

“Well, judging by the mud and the kegs, I'd say he probably got hammered and stole this big ugly monstrosity and went joy-riding. I bet the kegs are stolen too. Rusty Iron Ale is made by a local micro brewing company just up the road from here in--”

“--Keystone,” Eddie finished, nodding. “I know just the place. Let's go check it out.”

“Sure. Let me finish processing for any particulates around the gas pedal and we can head out.” she replied, leaning in and inspecting the floor mats where she spotted something that looked vaguely like gravel and metallic flakes. 

Well. 

What was this? She wondered as she gathered up the particulates.


	7. Chapter 7

Carrie trailed behind Eddie as they approached a truck being loaded with kegs by several men wearing shirts imprinted with the brewery's logo.

“Gentlemen?” Eddie called out to them, getting their attention. He held up his badge for them. “CCPD. Is there any chance some of your merchandise was stolen last night?”

One man shook his head, frowning faintly. “No? I mean, I don't think so?” He glanced at the man standing in the back fo the truck and he shrugged in confusion as well.

“Okay...” Eddie reached into his jacket, pulling out a picture of Tony. “What about this guy? Have you seen him?”

The guy in the back of the truck seemed uneasy, turning away as though not wanting to see the picture Eddie was showing them. 

Her head tilted in suspicion and she spoke to the man's back before she even realized it: “You know Tony, don't you?”

“Hey,” Eddie wiggled the picture at the man's back and reluctantly, he turned back around to regard them.

And then he tried to bolt, leaping from the back of the truck and charging past them.

“Carrie! C'mon!” Eddie yelled, tearing after him in hot pursuit, though he would never except under torture tell her it was because he didn't want her to be left behind with a bunch of shady looking brewery workers.

She ran behind Eddie at an agonizingly slow – but human – speed until she saw the shortcut. Eddie was focused on the man, so she sped away, rounding the corner and standing at the end of the alley bey a chain-length fence. For her, time was slowed down as she watched the perp and Eddie coming towards her. Eddie saw her and looked confused but the perp...

Well he backhanded her into the fence, slowing down long enough with that action for Eddie to tackle him.

“Carrie?! You alright?” He demanded as he pinned the man. Oh God, Joe was going to kill him. Or worse, Iris would never talk to him again---

“Never better. Barely felt it,” she quipped reassuringly, rubbing her cheek as she pushed herself back up to her feet.

“I didn't do nothin', man!” the perp squawked, flailing his arms in panic.

“So why'd you run?” Eddie growled, hoisting the man up by the shoulders of his shirt, keeping handfuls of the material to hold him in place.

“Look, it was an accident!”

“What was?” he grunted, wrestling to containing the man.

“Tony falling, okay?! But I swear, we didn't kill him!”

Eddie exchanged a look with her before staring at their perp. “Keep talking.”

“About ten months ago, at Keystone Ironworks. Boss was handing out pinkslips. Tony gets his and he just snapped and started beating the crap out of the guy. We pulled him off but then the lights went out. There was some kinda power surge and then Tony went over the railing...right into a vat of molten scrap. Just....gone.”

Eddie was reaching for his cuffs. “Lucky for you? He's still alive.”

The perp looked so confused. “What?!”

Eddie paused, looking at Carrie as he was cuffing the man. “...how'd you get in front of us, anyway...?”

“I saw a shortcut,” she offered, trailing after him as he led the perp away.


	8. Chapter 8

Carrie was staring at the Girder training dummy thoughtfully when her phone buzzed; the number was from Jitters and she frowned in confusion before answering. “Hello?”

“Carrie, he was here!” Iris sounded more than a little terrified.

“What? Who was?”

“Tony Woodward! He was here, asking about the Streak and he broke my phone---his arm turned to metal--”

“Stay there, I'll come get you and bring you back to STAR Labs.”

“Okay. Be careful!”

She hung up her phone, about to leave when--

“Hey Carrie, check it out!” Cisco had come up beside her as she was studying the training dummy, showing her his tablet. “That gravel you pulled from Tony's ride? Is seventy-six percent pure hematite, which is consistent with the mines at Keystone Iron works.”

“Which closed down ten months ago...” she nodded. “Makes it the perfect hideout.”

She took a breath. “But first things first – I just got a call from Iris. Tony showed up at Jitters looking for information about the Streak. I'm going to go get her, bring her here where it's safe.”

“Go!” Cisco was nodding in understanding, Caitlin making a shooing motion at her.

In a blur, she was geared in her suit and out the door.

\------

Iris was waiting for her at Jitters when she arrived.

“Are you alright?!” Carrie checked her over in worry.

“I'm fine. I almost got the impression he was trying to impress me. He is fixated on you though, in a rather scary way,” Iris warned. “He said he had a place in west Keystone and bragged about how big it was. But...he could have been blowing smoke.”

That sounded like the Ironworks.... “I think I know where he went. Lets get you to STAR Labs...”

“I'll be fine, I called Eddie right after I called you; he's sending a squad car over to pick me up and take me home.”

“I dunno about that, Iris....” she frowned.

“I'll be fine! No way is he stupid enough to come after me there after showing up here.”

“Alright,” she relented. “Call me when you get there. Cisco patched the calls coming into my phone to my suit. You can ride along with me.”

There was a knocking on the door – a pair of uniformed patrolmen stood outside. “That's my ride – be careful!”

“You too,” Carrie replied before blurring away.

She was speeding toward Keystone when Caitlin chimed in her ear: “Carrie? Where are you going?”

Her jaw clenched as Cisco added, “Don't run angry! We still haven't figured out how to defeat him yet.”

“He threatened Iris! To get to me!” She growled and took a breath. “Besides. He might not be there, he's probably ripping off more ATMs. So I'm just....scouting around.”

She came to a stop before the abandoned Ironworks and cautiously entered.

“You see anything?” Cisco whispered over the comm as she ventured further inside. 

It was dark. Creepy. yup, she could see Tony Woodward living here. Very carefully Carrie darted back and forth, though not at full speed, mindful of where she was going in this labyrinth of rusty metal.

“No. I don't think he's here. Keep an eye out on the police scanners,” she whispered back. “Maybe I can find come evidence for Eddie while he's gone...”

And then she stopped at what had at one time been a vat of molten metal. It was empty now and the side looked like something had broken out of it. Metal slag pooled around the base of the broken vat.

“...I think I found the vat he fell into,” she said softly as she trailed the footsteps that lead from the vat. It led her to a smaller room; there were empty beer bottles – the Rusty Iron Ale – on a work table. Must be his new kitchen. She nodded to herself. “This is definitely the place...”

And then the fine hairs rose on the back of her neck. She whirled and there was a metal fist coming through the air at her face. 

Although she was able to dodge it, she wasn't able to avoid his grip as he snagged her by the shoulder and spun, throwing her into a metal rack. She hit it hard with a grunt of pain, falling back to the ground.

“You're trespassing, freak,” Tony sneered.

“Take a look in the mirror,” she wheezed.

He snarled, his form becoming entirely metal as he grabbed the rack she had collided with. “There's no where left to run!”

And with that, he pulled on the rack, sending it falling atop her.


	9. Chapter 9

She was drifting in and out of awareness. Faintly she could hear her name being called. It sounded like...Cisco? Caitlin? 

Everything hurt.

“Carrie! Say something so that we know you're okay!” Caitlin demanded.

She could feel Cisco's hand on her arm, gently tugging her out partially from beneath the rack. A groan of pain escaped her.

“Please don't do that,” she wheezed and Cisco paused.

“Don't listen to her, we need to get her out from under there!” 

“...sorry,” he apologized and pulled her free completely, cringing at her cry of pain.

The ride back had hurt a lot.

But not as much as being on the receiving end of Dr Wells's furious look once they returned to STAR Labs. She cringed in a combination of embarrassment and pain as Caitlin daubed at the latest of her lacerations with a cotton-ball soaked in disinfectant as he wheeled towards the medical bed. 

The medical bed. Her one truest friend. 

Part of her really wished he'd waited until she had more on than her bra and panties. This was humiliating enough as it was...

“What were you thinking?” The fury in his eyes had bubbled over into his voice as he leaned forward, repeating the question in a louder tone. “What were you thinking?! I told you we would figure out a way to deal with him!”

“...I just wanted to see if it...was really the place...” she whimpered and hissed as the ball of pain-inducer that Caitlin was wielding moved over another laceration. “I...I'll heal, I'm okay...”

“You can't heal when you are dead, Ms Allen,” he growled, turning his chair away in anger. “He could have killed you!”

“I know...” she said softly and grimaced as Caitlin finally stepped back, deeming her properly tended. As a big ball of agony, she slipped off the medical bed, pulling on a STAR Labs tee-shirt; thankfully it was a large one that wasn't snug against her healing wounds and fell past her hips. 

She limped over to where he sat, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair tightly. His knuckles were white, she noted as she stood beside him. “In the past thirty-six hours...I've had my ass handed to me twice by the...the man that tortured me as a kid.”

Her shoulders hunched up and she trembled, gripping the hem of the tee-shirt and wringing it faintly. Carrie's voice was soft and shaky, her face burning with shame at her failure, her inadequacy. “I couldn't stop him then...or now...even with my powers... I'm still....powerless against him...”

“Not...” Dr Wells's voice had calmed and he reached out, taking hold of her wrist to stop the wringing motion she was making. “Not necessarily. Cisco has something to show you.”

She looked between him and Cisco, still trembling faintly though now it was more from the fact he was still holding her wrist. Cisco had moved over to the computer console as Dr Wells still spoke. “Any material, when struck at a high enough velocity can be compromised.”

“We ran an analyze on the metal in Tony's footprint,” Cisco informed her. “Based on it's density and atomic structure, if you impact at just the right angle, at just the right speed you can do some serious damage. To him this time.”

“How...” she licked her lips in uncertainty. “How fast would I have to go?”

“Factoring in the metal's tensile strength, estimated dermal thickness, atmospheric pressure and temperature...you'd have to hit him at approximately...” Cisco swallowed. “Mach one-point-one.”

She felt light-headed and whimpered. That would mean she'd have to break the sound barrier, there was no way she could break the sound barrier--- Dr Wells gave her wrist a reassuring squeeze and her eyes met his. He nodded at her and she wished that she could feel the confidence she saw in his eyes.

“You want Carrie to hit something at eight-hundred miles an hour?!” Caitlin demanded.

“Eight-hundred-thirty-seven,” he corrected.

“That's faster than the speed of sound!”

“I know!” Cisco was terribly excited about the idea. She'd make a sonic boom which would be so awesome!”

Carrie made another pathetic whimper in her throat. “I've...never gone that fast? ...can I even...?”

“I believe you can,” Dr Wells said, his eyes never having left hers.

And she was blushing again. Oh boy.

“I can't believe we're even entertaining this idea!” Caitlin shook her head. “She'd need a straight shot from miles away to build up that speed!”

“Five-point-three miles to be exact,” Cisco agreed. “...theoretically.”

“Theoretically,” Dr Wells agreed and his hand slipped down from her wrist and closed around her hand, giving a reassuring squeeze. “But...you can do it. You can take him down.”

“But if you do it wrong,” Caitlin's words dragged her attention from Dr Wells's piercing, confident blue eyes. “You can shatter every bone in your body.”

She gripped his hand tightly in a moment of terror and he ran his thumb in reassuring circles on the back of her hand as Dr Wells repeated. “You can do it, Carrie.”


	10. Chapter 10

Carrie walked through the CCPD, heading for her lab when Joe called out her name. She looked at him wearily. Even though Dr Wells was confident she could break the sound barrier, her own doubts and childhood fear of Tony Woodward was eating at her.

“Hey, Joe.” she greeted as he walked beside him.

“We got an anonymous tip leading us to Tony's hideout. The entire place was trashed,” he was eyeing her in worry. “What happened?”

She blinked at him in confusion. “Didn't Iris or Eddie tell you? Tony showed up at Jitters to see her, to find out what she knew about the Streak. She mentioned him bragging about a place on the west-side of Keystone so I went to investigate.”

He reeled back a bit. “They did not tell me! Where is Iris right now?”

“She's fine. She's told me Eddie put a detail on her to keep her safe. I wish she'd have let me take her back to STAR Labs though....”

He nodded. “He'd never think to look for her there and the security system would give us enough a warning to get in and out of there if we had to...”

Carrie fidgeted and her shoulder slumped. “I didn't think he was there but I thought if he was I could handle him this time... I was so scared, it was like I was back in school again...”

The hand on her shoulder was reassuring and he gave a gentle squeeze. “I know what that bastard put you through, Care-bear. But you can't let emotion cloud your judgment.”

Eddie walked up to them hurriedly. “Toll-booth camera got a shot of Woodward in a stolen car headed out of town. The State Police are taking over. We lost him.”

“Don't worry, Eddie,” Joe said, patting Carrie's shoulder again. “We'll get him.”

“I really wanted to take this guy down.”

“Same here,” she agreed.

Eddie looked over at her, and nodded towards the stairs. “C'mon, lets go, Carrie.”

“....go where?” she looked at him in confusion.

“Let's go let off some steam,” he replied, stripping out of his suit jacket. “I need to hit something and you...need a confidence boost.”

“What?” She looked back at Joe in confusion.

“I don't think he meant you. Go on.”

She followed him up the stairs and into her lab, to the far corner with the punching bag. He'd taken off his dress shirt and she totally did not look at his muscles when he put on the boxing gloves. 

Iris was lucky.

...she really wished she could figure out the signals Dr Wells was sending her. Was he merely being a concerned mentor or paternal figure....? Probably. He was older than she. Not like she thought it was a bad thing, she liked his age and maturity...

She was regretting holding the punching bag for him though. Good lord he could hit! He wasn't a meta-human but still, he was strong!

...was Hunter this strong? Or the guy from Bludhaven that she'd meet on that date this weekend?

Dr Wells was surprisingly strong but then again, due to his physical therapy he had gained a great deal of upper-body strength...

“Iris mentioned some of that Woodward put you through,” Eddie's words snapped her back to reality. He was eyeing her. “But she didn't tell me everything.”

Her eyes lowered, blushing hotly in embarrassment.

“Hey.” His voice was soft. “Carrie. Don't feel bad. I had my own share of bullies in school. Pretty sure Hunter did too.”

She eyed him dubiously. “Somehow I find that hard to believe...”

“I was short,” he grunted, punching the bag again. “Fat.” Another punch. “And the son of a politician who closed a factory that had produced the most jobs for the families in my school district. So I was not so popular.”

“And I,” Hunter drawled from the doorway, “was a beanpole with a stutter and habit of tripping over thin air.”

He walked in, stripping off his dress-shirt and reaching for a pair of gloves as well. What surprised her though was that he walked over and was putting them on her and not himself.

“So...” she was blushing hotly and trying to not look at the pair of men running around practically shirtless. One was totally taken by her sister and the other was rebounding off a messy divorce. So not available for ogling. So not. Such was her life. Dammit. “...what did you guys do about it?”

“Got my ass kicked,” Eddie replied. “A lot. Until my gym coach took pity on me.”

“Pretty much the same for me,” Hunter snorted in agreement. 

“She told me that the key to fighting is patience.” Eddie said, shifting to take the punching bag from her and holding it in place. “A lot of guys waste the most energy trying to land the most punches, when all it takes is one. But you got to make it count.” He braced the punching bag against himself. “Choose your spot and drive through it, like it's six inches behind the target.”

Gnawing uncertainly on her lower lip, she glanced between Hunter and Eddie before locking her eyes on the punching bag. She took a breath and assumed the stance Joe had taught her all those years ago. Find the spot. Drive through it.

A squeak escaped her as her fist slammed into the bag; Eddie didn't even move but she still jerked back, checking on him in worry.

“I'm okay. Do it again. Don't worry about me.” He reassured. “Hit it harder.”

Seeing how she was glancing between her gloved hands and the back in worry, Hunter slipped up behind her, his hands resting on her hips and his foot slipping between hers to adjust her feet. “Here. Adjust your stance a bit. Women have a lower center of gravity, so you have to swing more from them than from your shoulders like we do.”

A shiver went down her spine as he leaned in to give a mock conspiratorial whisper, his breath warm against her ear. “Its why you kick so hard!”

Eddie was eyeing her blushing face with a faint grin. So she did have hormones. He almost felt bad for when she met Grayson – all the ladies swooned over him.

“Okay!” she squeaked again, causing Hunter's lips to quirk at the corner.

She punched again, with more force...and this time, the bag jumped.

Eddie grunted in approval. “Harder!”

“....I wanna kick it...” she muttered and blushed hotly. “I...can I?”

“Go for it!” Eddie shifted his grip on the bag even as Hunter backed up to give her room.

She took her stance, took a breath and pictured Tony's face on that one spot. All the ear and anger she felt, she caught hold of, balling them up---then she moved, spinning forward, her leg outstretched and moving in an arch towards the target and---the bag ruptured, spilling the sand onto the floor of her lab while sending Eddie staggering.

“Eddie?!” she squeaked hurrying to his side. “Are you okay?!”

“I'm okay,” he coughed, while Hunter inspected the bag.

“Holy shit,” he whistled.

“Its not that impressive, the seam was starting to rip,” she reassured him.


	11. Chapter 11

With the punching bag ripped – whoopsie – Eddie had stripped off his gloves and put on a pair of mitts designed for her to strike. 

This felt more natural than fighting Cisco's training dummy, that was for sure. 

The movements were far more smooth, natural...what she could expect from Tony if – when – she fought him again. 

It also helped Hunter was calling out advice, occasionally coming over to help adjust her stance and even demonstrating at times.

Where were these guys when she was in high-school?!

...college. 

She lashed out with another kick, striking Eddie's mitt-covered hand and he whistled, shaking his hand. “Damn! You might have to take over soon, Hunter. Girl's got some legs on her!”

“She does indeed,” Hunter deadpanned, with that quirk at the corner of his mouth.

“Did I hurt you?” She paused in worry. Iris would never forgive her if she broke Eddie's hands...

“Stings a little but it's fine,” Eddie reassured her. “You're doing really good. Just need to work on your speed a bit.”

Carrie swallowed back a hysterical giggle, answering with a straight face. “Sure. I'll do my best.”

“The speed'll come when you get the hang of it,” Hunter said as he helped her remove the gloves. “Right now you're working on your forms. Speed won't matter if you have a sloppy form.”

And then a uniformed officer rushed into the lab, his face pale. “Thawne! Zolomon! The unit watching West's daughter, Iris? Its been attacked and she's missing!”

Carrie's heart dropped to her knees and for a moment she saw dark spots in her vision. She took a breath and grabbed Hunter's shirt, shoving it into his hands. “You two go – I'll call Joe.”

As they fled the lab, she rushed over to to her cellphone, hitting the speed-dial for STAR Labs. “Guys? Are you there?”

“Carrie? What's up?”

“Tony took Iris!” The panic was bubbling in her voice as she hurried down the hall from her lab at human speeds. “I need your help – do whatever you can think of, we have to find her! Satellites, security cameras, hack them all.”

“We're on it!”

Joe was approaching the stairs as she was on the last steps. “Dad!”

His head jerked up to stare at her – Carrie didn't call him Dad often and when she did and in that tone-- “Care-bare? What's wrong?”

“He has her,” she whimpered, gripping her cellphone.


	12. Chapter 12

“Eddie!” Joe strode into the bullpen, Carrie trailing behind him. “We got anything yet?”

Captain Singh and Eddie looked up at him; Hunter was still on the phone.

Eddie shook his head. “Nothing yet, we have roadblocks from every major artery. Units are searching.”

“We will find Iris, Joe,” the Captain reassured him before walking over to another detective for a progress report.

Joe looked...old and tired. Older than she'd ever have seen him before as he sagged, leaning against a desk. His eyes met hers. “...you don't think he'll hurt her, do you?”

“I...don't know. Iris said she thought he was trying to impress her when he talked other at Jitters...”

“Sir?” One of the uniforms – the same who informed them of Iris's abduction – waved down Captain Singh. “We just got a fire alarm call at Carmichael Elementary...”

“Dispatch the fire department, we'll send back up when we can.”

Joe looked over at Carrie. “That's the school you and Iris went to--”

“And Tony,” she finished.

“Go.”

She gave him a hug before darting away back up to her lab for the spare suit she kept stored in the locked cabinet.

\-------

“I'm not going down without a fight!” Tony was declaring as she stopping in the opened doors of the school; the wind she had generated announced her arrival, causing him to turn around.

He had a tight grip on Iris's arm and Carrie felt her lips tighten. She didn't bother to modulate her voice – why bother? “You just found one.”

“You just won't stay dead!” he snarled, dragging Iris while approaching Carrie.

“More like you think you're better than you are when it comes to actually killing me,” she retorted.

“Don't provoke the crazy guy!” Cisco squawked in her ear.

 

“Come to save your little fangirl?” Tony sneered.

“Get your hands off my sister, Woodward,” she snapped. “This is between you and me. Now let her go.”

“Sister...” Tony pushed Iris away, his eyes narrowed. “I'll be damned. Its the little freak...looks like you got freakier...” His eyes raked over her and he smirked. “Still a scrawny stick. Won't take much to break every bone in your body.”

Her back was straight and fists clenched at his entire body took that metallic shine. She took a breath and sped towards him, golden lightning crackling behind her. He was moving, going for a punch that she avoided by sliding through his legs, continuing forward to get Iris and deposit her further down the hall.

“Run, I will keep him busy. Dad's on the way,” she whispered.

“But---!”

“Go!” 

Carrie sped away, heading back towards Tony who was charging, lashing out with a hay-maker that had it connected probably would have broken her face; thankfully his movements were slow to her and she leaned back to avoid the blow.

She couldn't count on her speed to keep her safe though. 

The hall was narrow and his reach was long so it was inevitable he'd catch her.

She stopped behind him as he was still moving through the haymaker. He wasn't metal right then and she gave a swift kick to his ass, sending him staggering forward. 

Her foot didn't hurt, which was good. 

It meant he could only go metallic when he saw what was coming. 

This was useful.

She wondered how his endurance was – maybe she could wear him down like she did Danton Black and the Mist? 

He spun around, his face twisted in rage as she smiled at him.

“Too slow, tin man,” she purred, feeling more confident than she had in a long time, all thanks to Eddie and Hunter.

Iris picked out a great guy....and maybe if she ever was able to put her crush behind her and the blind dates didn't work out...maybe once Hunter was over his ex...they could perhaps try dating for real? Maybe?

He was lunging forward with a metallic fist and she spun to the side to avoid it, allowing him to punch through a locker. Was he stuck? He looked stuck.

“Look at you...all these powers...and what you do with it?” she shook her head, staying out of his range. “You could have become a hero. Could have helped people. But all you are now is what you were when we were kids – a bully.”

There was a flag pole near her and she picked it up, using it as an impromptu staff to swing at his face, though without the super-speed. His face became metallic right before she connected, just like she suspected it would. Lets try that at a higher speed---

He snagged the pole as she was retracting it, his harm metal as he used it to abruptly pick her up and slam her into the wall of the corridor and then into a locker. He was starting to swing her back to hit the wall again when she released the flag pole and dropped to the ground in an awarded roll. 

Right out of the way of him slamming the pole down on her. She was faintly away or Cisco murmuring to one of the others and Iris's screaming.

“Iris, run!” she shouted to her sister as Tony approached, his arms turning metallic. “Get to safety!”

“No!” She was there, pulling Carrie to her feet.

He wasn't even winded in the slightest. Wearing him down wasn't going to work, he's probably built up more stamina than she had, she realized. 

She had to do it. 

She had to break the sound barrier.

“I have a plan!” she hissed softly to Iris, pushing her down the hall as he approached. “I need room for it to work so don't panic.”

In a crackle of golden lightning she sped past him and out the doors, the suction of the wind causing them to slam shut behind her. She sped down the road and then down the highway until she came ab abrupt stop. She panted, holding her ribs for a moment as she regained her bearings.

Five-point-three miles. 

Exactly.

She straightened up and turned back to face the way she had run. The speedster took a deep, careful breath and ignored the twinge of her ribs. Golden lightning crackled across her eyes as she lowered into the runner's starter stance.

She could do this. 

Dr Wells had said he believed she could and she trusted him.

And then she was off, ignoring Caitlin's cry of: “Carrie! Wait!”

“Go, Carrie, go!” Cisco was cheering as she ran as fast as she could force her body to go.

Faintly she was aware of windows shattering and car alarmed going off down the street as she ran, picking up more and more speed. Iris needed her. She had to go faster. 

Faster.

FASTER!

And then, echoing through Central City was a sonic boom; the doors to the school were literally ripped from their hinges as she launched herself into the air, her leg coming up into a flying kick---

\---her foot impacted with Tony's jaw. And oh god did it hurt; she was pretty sure something cracked.

Iris had lunged to the side, which was really good because it launched Tony into the air as well and he slammed into the lockers near where she had been standing.

Carrie hit the ground, faintly aware of Cisco cheering about a super sonic punch.

Tony groaned on the ground beside her and was pushing himself up to his knees. 

Dammit.

And then, Iris was there blindsiding him while slamming her fist into his face. When he hit the ground, Carrie chuckled weakly. 

“You always had one hell of a right hook...”

“I think I broke my hand,” Iris groaned.

“I think I broke something in my foot,” she agreed.

\-------

She watched as Tony came to consciousness in the makeshift cell in the Pipeline. Normally this place gave her the willies but...

This was one hell of an occasion.

“Hey!” He banged on the door, glaring at her. “What is this?! Where am I?!”

“Where you will never hurt anyone again,” she replied. 

“How the hell did you---”

“What happened to you, happened to me. And to others,” She informed him. “But it didn't just give us abilities. It made us more of who we are. You got stronger and I got faster. Fast enough to beat you.” She frowned at him. “You used your gift, your second chance at doing what was right, to hurt people. But not any more.”

Carrie turned and walked away, her back straight.

He was banging on the cell door again, screaming at her to not walk away from him. And then, she heard nothing more from him as the outer door sealed behind her.

She exhaled the breath she didn't know she had been holding and smiled at Caitlin and Cisco.

“That...had to feel great,” Cisco grinned at her.

“So very good,” she agreed.

“Almost as good as proving me wrong about your super sonic kick?”

“Flying kick if you want to be precise. And that part hurt a lot.”

“When'd you decide to try a kick instead of a punch?” Cisco asked.

“As I was running to do it,” she replied sheepishly. “I....got the idea from Hunter, actually. When he reminded me that women have a lower center of gravity, making our kicks more powerful than our punches.”

She turned and looked at them. “But I never could have done it without you guys.”

Cisco grinned. “So, which childhood bully will we be taking down next? Mine or Caitlin's?”

Carrie giggled. “Whichever one rampages across the city with meta-abilities.”


End file.
